Up to 90% of oysters dead in Mississippi reef sample

PASS CHRISTIAN — Officials from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources took oyster fishermen out on the reefs off the Pass Christian Harbor on Wednesday to give them a preview of what to expect from the upcoming oyster season.

Catches resulting in an abundance of empty oyster shells led some fishermen to doubt the viability of the season, which typically begins in September or October.

"We've lost this season," oyster dredger Loe Nguyen said.

Nguyen said he's also a shrimper, but that shrimping season hasn't been good, either, since the oil spill.